Minnesota Avenue Will Not Be Fun This Summer

Driving down Minnesota Avenue in Sioux Falls is going to take a lot longer this summer.

The City of Sioux Falls announced a press conference scheduled for Friday will detail a project that is likely to make driving the artery to downtown as much fun and time consuming as going to the dentist. (The start date of construction was not included in the press release, that's still a secret, shhh!)

The intersection of 26th Street and Minnesota Avenue will be completely rebuilt which, as you can see from the myriad filled potholes in the Google Streetview pic above, is much needed. The City of Sioux Falls GIS says this is being done because "Increased volumes and crashes have warranted the need to widen arterial intersections to improve the traffic flow and safety."

To quote Anthony Sullivan: "But wait, there's more!"

Select sections of Minnesota Avenue will undergo "full depth joint repair" from 22nd Street to 33rd Street. Again from the city's GIS site:

This project will rehabilitate aged concrete at various locations around the city. Work will include joint sealing, joint rehabilitation, and full and partial depth replacement. New to the street repair toolbox is a product called TechCrete. TechCrete is a rubber-like material that can stay in a pothole for over three years, much longer than the typical asphalt patch. In general, the streets will remain open to traffic; however, drivers should expect delays. Drivers should expect delays at peak times.

So enjoy driving slower than everyone taking Phillips Avenue all the way to 41st Street. (It's faster now, I promise!)